Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards
by wargear
Summary: Harry finds an unexpected solution to his friends inability to master the Animagus transformation. Chapter 10 up.
1. Prelude

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Prelude**

As per normal procedure, the house elf (it was Tippy today) collected the dirty clothes from where they were scattered about the first year Gryffindor boys dormitory.

Rumour among the house elves was that the little Master Harry Potter had been in some trouble and had been attacked by the Dark Lord.

Tippy thought to herself. _Well that would explain the bloodstains and ripped state of the young master's clothing._

Going through the pockets and pouches of the uniforms, Tippy removed several coins, a couple of scraps of parchment, and a couple of owl treats, returning them to the trunks of their respective owners.

Tippy paused briefly over Potter's trousers, fishing a tiny speck of red stone out of his pocket. To the house elf, the magical aura surrounding that tiny speck was completely out of proportion to it's size.

Clicking her tongue over wizardly carelessness, she sealed the speck into a glass vial and placed it into Potter's trunk…it wouldn't do for something so potent to be lost.

Upon returning to the laundry, Tippy mentioned the fragment to Miffy, who had just completed cleaning the Headmaster's office…where she too had found a tiny fragment of the stone.

The next time Miffy cleaned the Headmaster's office, she removed the tiny fragment from the corner of the drawer where she had left it, and passed it on to Tippy to return to the Potter boy.

Word spread quickly among the house elves, and by the end of the week an additional four tiny chunks of red stone sat in a vial at the bottom of Harry Potter's school trunk.

Buried…

Forgotten…


	2. Chapter 1

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Chapter 1**

The trip so far had been quiet.

Well there was that brief few moments when Malfoy had burst in to taunt Harry, but six wands sticking into his face quickly dissuaded the blonde Slytherin from anything more than a girly "meep" and a strategic withdrawal.

Quiet.

Luna Lovegood had her nose buried in the latest copy of the Quibbler, upside down as usual. Her wand was tucked behind her ear, and she appeared to be concentrating on something…her usual dreamy faraway expression absent for once.

Neville Longbottom, sitting beside her, was slowly tapping his new wand against his knee. Lost in memories, he stared off into space, eyes unfocussed.

Ginny Weasley was staring out the window. The silence was driving her nuts, and the urge to leap up and do something was barely contained…subtle fidgeting the only sign of unrest.

Opposite Luna sat Ron Weasley. He was quietly shuffling a deck of tarot cards. Sure, he knew Divination was a complete bludge, but Kingsley had taught him a couple of card tricks over the summer, and he had practiced them to the point he could perform them without paying too much attention.

Hermione Granger was reading beside him, and appeared completely immersed in the weighty tome sitting across her lap.

It was all a show. They were all really paying worried attention to the last person in the compartment.

Harry Potter. The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Who was currently staring out the window, a look of deep concentration etched into a face lined with grief. The summer had not been kind to him. He was severely underweight, his skin a sickly pale colour.

His eyes, however, blazed with an intensity rarely seen before as he suddenly turned to face his companions.

"Animagi!" His whisper tore away the silence like a peal of thunder. "We should become Animagi."

The rest of the 'Ministry Crew' stared at him blinking. Of all the things he might have said, that was not remotely what they had been expecting. This was the most animated they had seen Harry since the disasterous events of the previous year.

Neville spoke up, voicing the question they all wanted to ask. "Why?"

Harry looked each of them in the eye briefly, before sucking in a breath. "To honour his memory. To honour the memory of the Marauders." His voice dropped away to almost a whisper. "To have something of him that cannot be taken away…" Harry looked out the window, unable to face them any longer.

Neville sat back thinking hard. Luna folded up her paper, dreamily looking across at Hermione. Ron was grinning wildly at the idea of getting one up on his twin brothers, who despite idolising the Marauders had never managed the transformation. Ginny was watching Harry closely now.

Hermione spoke up next, eyes narrowing as she closed the tome on her lap. "You do realise just how hard it is, don't you? That it is illegal to be unregistered? That not everyone is even capable of achieving it? What…"

She cut herself off as Harry pulled out a battered diary and dropped it on her lap. It looked as if a dog had spent some time gnawing on it.

Harry drew his wand and tapped the cover. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Everyone's eyes widened at the very familiar Marauder catch-phrase. Writing began to appear on the books cover. The Marauder's Guide to the Animagus Transformation.

Hermione was the first to drag her eyes away from the book in her lap. "How?"

Harry smiled sadly, "Professor Lupin gave it to me early in the holidays. According to him, Sirius and Dad created this from their research. I've read it."

The compartment fell quiet for a few minutes.

The silence was broken this time by Ron. "So Harry, what is your animagus form? You've had all summer, after all." Ron sounded a little…upset.

Harry's eyes glittered with good humour, "Well, you see, that's the thing, isn't it…"

"Just spit it out," Ginny growled, likewise upset at being left behind.

"I haven't done it yet."

"WHAT?" Four voices practically shouted.

"Why not, Harry?" Luna asked quietly, speaking up finally.

Harry turned to Hermione, "Look up page Seventy-Three."

Hermione looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then started flipping through the battered pages, quickly becoming engrossed in the book.

After no response from her for a couple of minutes, Ron reached out and lowered the book so everyone could see the page she was reading…the title said it all.

"_**Achieving Magical Animagi Forms**_," Ginny whispered.

They all looked at Harry in disbelief.

"That's impossible…" Hermione started.

"No, just impossible for normal wizards and witches. With enough power, anything is possible." Harry cut her off, explaining.

"Then how?" Hermione asked. "In case you had forgotten, we are normal wizards and witches."

A sly grin slipped across Harry's face. "Later." He turned to look out the window again. "I'll explain later."

The others looked at him with varied expressions of disbelief, anger, frustration, exasperation, curiosity, and hope. His communicative phase, however, was over and they returned to their respective thoughts.


	3. Chapter 2

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

**

* * *

Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Chapter 2**

It had been a hectic first week back, and to the extreme frustration of the 'Ministry Crew', they had as yet been unable to get Harry to talk.

Until now. It was Friday night, and Harry had asked them to find their way to a certain girl's toilet on a certain floor.

Luna was already waiting there when Ron, Ginny and Hermione arrived, Neville arriving a couple of minutes later with Harry.

"Why here?" Ginny asked, an odd lilt to her voice.

"Not here, there." Harry nodded towards a certain fixture.

Ginny hugged herself, her thoughts turning inwards to a time years before.

Ron's eyes narrowed, "Why Harry?" Thinking, _This had better be good._

"Because I don't trust the headmaster, and I think we should keep this quiet." Walking over to the entrance. "_Open,_" he hissed in Parseltongue. Looking back at the assembled group, "He knows everything that goes on in this castle…except for this room. Are you with me or not?" With that Harry jumped into the yawning portal, quickly disappearing from sight.

* * *

The others caught up with Harry as he stood over the corpse of the Basilisk.

It had decomposed over the last few years, leaving little but bones and tatters of the once impervious skin.

Breathing hard, eyes unfocussed, Harry shook his head as the others approached. "Dobby!" He shouted authoritively.

The excitable house elf appeared, practically drooling at the idea of serving his Master Harry Sir.

"Could you clear all this please, Dobby?" Harry gestured towards the basilisk and remnants of the titanic struggle of his second year. He turned towards his friends, "Only a truly powerful wizard can achieve the sheer power required for a magical animagus form."

His friends attentions had been scattered. Ron and Ginny were shuddering from the flashbacks being in the Chamber again were bringing. Hermione was getting angry over how Harry had just ordered Dobby around. Neville's gaze was captivated by the remains of the basilisk, and Luna was just dreamily drifting along. Harry's words had caught them all again.

"How powerful, Harry?" Ron asked, shaking his head. He had no delusions about his own magical strength.

"Oh, lets see…the only recorded magical animagus was MERLIN!" Hermione's voice had steadily risen, sarcasm dripping from it.

Harry chuckled at the gasps and murmurs that Hermione's revelation brought.

"Harry, just what are we doing here?" Ginny asked, hugging herself, looking around nervously.

Harry sat down on a boulder. "You're right Hermione. However, with a source of magical power strong enough, and an appropriate catalyst…anything is possible."

Hermione sat heavily as the implications of what he was saying sank in. The others were giving him the 'crazy man' look.

Luna suddenly brightened, "Hogwarts, right?"

Harry laughed, "Of course."

Ron and Neville could only look on in confusion, unable to follow the logic of the conversation going around them.

Hermione glared at Harry. "A catalyst…a catalyst…I have never heard of anything that could do what you are suggesting…even assuming you could tap into Hogwarts to supply the power for the transformation, there is still nothing to spark it." She was frowning now, her mind reviewing everything she knew and had read about magical theory and the animagus transformation in particular.

Harry just grinned and took his hand out of his pocket, a small vial was in his hand.

The others sat looking at him in confusion as he rattled the tiny vial in front of Hermione.

"Mischief managed," Harry chuckled as realisation flooded onto Hermione's face.


	4. Chapter 3

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Chapter 3**

A month later, the six found themselves once more in the bowels of the castle.

"The Marauder's were nothing, if not thorough in their research." Luna started, "Even the restricted section of the Library has nothing to add to their work." She held up the Marauder's Guide.

Like Luna, Hermione's face bore a dispirited cast as she added, "Professor MacGonnegal's private library, the Gryffindor library, the Ravenclaw library…even the books the headmaster lent to Cho on the subject don't add anything we didn't already know."

The others gathered around them sagged, their enthusiasm draining away.

"So that's it then? We can't do it?" Ron sounded miserable.

Harry was watching Hermione closely, suddenly jumping up. "You two!" He pointed an accusing finger at the smarted pair in the group…who had started giggling at him. "You horrible…evil…how could you prank us like that…" His voice laced with disbelief.

Ron, Neville and Ginny just looked at Harry, then at the other two girls, who had both started laughing.

"You…you…you pranked us?" Ron finally got out.

"How did you figure it out?" Hermione asked Harry.

Shaking his head, "Your eyes…you were…" Harry paused, "So it can be done?"

Luna nodded, "The library in the Slytherin dungeon had the key." Smiling dreamily now.

Ginny looked at the pair curiously, "How did you get access to that?"

Hermione looked smug, "Blaize owed me a favour or two, and was more than happy to help."

Luna nodded, "Now we only need to brew the enhanced revealer potion, and set up for the catalyst ritual."

Hermione continued, "I don't think we can do it all at once, and according to our figures," she waved around a sheet full of Arithmancy calculations, "we may have to wait several hours between goes, if the forms are particularly powerful."

Harry smiled, "Lets do it then."

The 'Ministry Crew' left the Chamber in much better spirits than they had arrived.

* * *

Hermione examined the six tiny reddish pieces of stone. There could be no mistakes, no second chances. _No pressure, right?_

She sat in the recently transfigured potions lab that the boys had built down in the Chamber of Secrets. The Animagus Revealer potion was almost at the critical point, she would soon have to add the final ingredient. She decanted the potion into six new cauldrons.

"Merlin smile on this," she whispered, before adding the largest chunk to the potion she had mentally designated Harry's.

* * *

Ron was busy copying the notes he had taken during the afternoon's lessons. Sure he was early for dinner, but he was under too much stress to stay in the common room right now.

Harry, Neville and Ginny were due soon, but for now it was only him and a couple of Hufflepuffs in the Great Hall.

Hermione, and the aura of burnt hair smell that surrounded her, arrived at the Gryffindor table.

Ron sniffed a couple of times, then looked up, smiling when he saw Hermione. "Here, Padma said that Arithmancy was mostly a revision session, Care of Magical Creatures was werewolves, and Charms is…done." He smiled up at her as he passed herfirst a copy of Padma's notes, rolled his eyes on the issue of werewolves,and thenhanded over acopy of the notes he had taken in Charms.

She looked at the Charms notes, realising that he had actually made an effort, and kissed him on the forehead, "Thanks Ron, really." She smiled, _He really does care about me_.

Harry and Neville arrived from one end of the hall, paused for the obligatory confrontation with Draco, before making their way over to their usual seats. Ginny and Luna arrived from the other direction, both joining the Gryffindor table.

Hermione sat, looking VERY smug.

The other five eventually all looked at her, expectantly.

She looked around, then leaned forwards conspiratorily, "It's done!" She all but squealed, practically bouncing out of her seat.

Face-splitting grins erupted across the others.

"This weekend." Harry's voice had a ring of triumph to it.


	5. Chapter 4

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Chapter 4**

With Dobby's aid, Harry had made a few additions to the Chamber of Secrets. The first being light. The Chamber wasn't nearly as scarey when well lit.

The next addition was a rudimentary potions lab.

The next change took nearly three hours of quite violent debate to decide upon. Ginny won out in the end…and the face of Salazar Slytherin now sported a huge bushy moustache.

Finally a huge ritual space was cleared, and preparations begun.

Dobby was afraid, to begin with, but with much encouragement and praise from Harry, he soon completed to measures required for them to tap into the magical energies of Hogwarts. Dobby also promised to be available at the time of the ceremony, his Master Harry Sir would need food and such.

* * *

It was four o'clock in the morning. Saturday.

Six young people were yawning into the cups of tea and pumpkin juice Dobby had provided them.

Several metres away, six clear flasks shone with the golden light coming from the glowing flecks within the crimson potion.

It would be only half an hour until the moon set, it's influence removed, and they could begin.

They looked at each other, all thinking the same thing.

"I'll go first." Harry, Ron, and Ginny had all spoken at the same time.

Neville shook his head, Luna just laughed at them, and Hermione placed her clenched fist in the centre of the table. There were six pieces of ribbon sticking up out of it.

"Take one each, they're numbered, we go in order. Easy, right?" She looked each of them in the face, finally looking pleadingly into Harry's eyes.

They all nodded, reluctantly in Harry's case.

Ron got the short straw.

* * *

All six of them stood around the edges of the circle, chanting.

The glowing crystals, ten feet tall a foot in diameter, that had been supplied by Dobby, were glowing and had just lifted a couple of inches off the ground as the raw magic of Hogwarts began to flow into them.

The six took a couple of minutes breather, watching as the pillars of glowing crystal began slowly circling the ritual space.

It was time. Ron took a deep breath, stepped into the middle of the circle, and quaffed the potion. _Well here goes insanity_.

PAIN!

Fire rippled down his throat, into his stomach, and out into his body. It was too much, too fast for him to scream. He held on as long as he could, in his mind's eye he could see something, something large, reaching for him…then it was all gone…

* * *

The others looked on in horror as Ron's body was consumed by pure raw magical fire, pouring down on him from the pillars slowly revolving around him. Forced to look away, none of them could bear the intensity of the light.

Despite their fears, despite the crushing despair that threatened to overwealm them, they kept their positions as best they could.

Only moments later the light flickered out…leaving darkness so complete, they thought they were blind.

"Lumos," Hermione's voice sounded weak, but the spell sprang to life at the end of her wand, relieving their terrors.

"Dobby?" Harry called out, "Some light please."

The chamber was lit once more.

Revealing…

* * *

**Cliffhanger anyone? It could be months before I get back to this…**

**No? Very well…**

* * *

The 'Ministry Crew' climbed to their feet, shocked by what the light revealed.

Ron no longer stood within the circle. The pillars no longer glowed, and had once more settled to earth.

At the centre of the circle, lay a sleeping Griffon.

The body of a lion; with the head, talons and wings of a great bird of prey. And he was huge…easily half again the size of Buckbeak. Sleek, dangerous looking, this was definitely a predator to be reckoned with.

They looked at each other.

IT HAD WORKED!

Ron had become a magical creature.

Harry paused to think while the others excitedly talked about it. He remembered the number of times Sirius had succumbed to the animal mind's urgings…if that could happen to someone as experienced as Sirius, it could easily happen to Ron…and Harry doubted a Griffon would want to chase a stick…

Ginny was watching Harry, he didn't seem very excited. "What is it Harry?"

"We should leave, give Ron a couple of hours to recover and adjust to his new form."

"Why?" Everyone had quieted down and were listening now.

"If he wakes up, and the animal is in control…" He trailed off meaningfully, looking at the wicked claws that were just beginning to flex as Ron was stirring.

The other's eyes grew wide at the implications, and they were just about to bolt.

"Da…Damn," Ron's voice.

They turned from where they were about to flee to see Ron getting to his feet. It shocked them. There was something…fluid, graceful, dangerous…in his movements now.

"YOU DID IT!" Ginny suddenly yelled out, rushing forward to throw her arms around her brother.

He caught her easily, spinning her around, laughing as the rest of the group crowded around to congratulate him.

* * *

They spent the next few hours talking about his experience. The moment he had awakened, he had found himself human again. This greatly relieved all of them.

Could he transform again? No. He was too tired, but he felt that later he could probably try again.

They all nibbled the meal Dobby brought for Ron, his appetite was huge…even for him.

A few hours later, the pillars of crystal began glowing again, faintly, as they slowly recharged.

It would soon be time for Luna's turn…


	6. Chapter 5

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Chapter 5**

Harry didn't know how she had done it. It was supposed to be random. Somehow, Hermione had arranged for him to go last. It was painful watching each of his friends go through the pain of the transformation.

It was taking so long, he was thinking it might have been a good idea to install a toilet down here.

Dobby had very kindly ferried them, in turn, up to the Prefects bathroom late on the first day.

He was walking back towards the rest of the group when something caught his eye…

Salazar Slytherin was now wearing a huge pair of glasses and had a bloody great lightning-bolt carved into his forehead…Harry wondered when that had been done, he knew it would not have been hard to convince Dobby to do it.

He chuckled to himself as he closed the distance to the rest of the group.

* * *

**Earlier.**

Dumbledore woke up in a panic. Direct from sound sleep to blind panic. Nothing in between.

_THE WARDS ARE DOWN!_

Hogwarts was defenceless!

He leapt out of bed. The floor was cold. He grabbed an overrobe and rushed into his office. Snatching his wand up he started a fire, tossed in some floo powder, and called. "Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"Albus? What's the matter? It's five in the morning." A sleepy voice replied.

"Hogwarts is defenceless, the wards are gone," Only a hundred and fifty years of iron self control allowed Dumbledore to sound like he was in control, "I need everyone you've got."

A choking sound followed by a loud thump and a crash were Albus' only response for a few moments.

"Kingsley?" Dumbledore sounded worried, "Are you alright?"

Kingsley suddenly popped up in front of the fire. "Please tell me you're kidding. A joke. Right?"

"Not a joke, and you're taking too long…it could be an attack…"

"We'll be right there."

* * *

The Ministry was stripped to a skeleton crew. All the on duty Aurors, Hit Wizards, hell…just about anyone able to hold their wand straight…up to and including the Minister himself. Most of the town of Hogsmead had also joined what had been expected to be the desperate defence of the school and its students.

All were now standing around on the lawn at Hogwarts, enjoying a surprisingly peaceful breakfast.

None of their fears had proven out. No invasion, no dementors, no Voldemort.

The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was at this very moment speaking very harshly to one Rita Skeeter, on the subject of the Headmaster and his incompetence. When the wards surrounding Hogwarts reasserted themselves.

The tension in the air immediately disappeared, the volume of voices raising as people relaxed.

The Headmaster stood on the steps so he could be seen by the gathered force. "Thank you my friends, it would appear the crisis is over, enjoy the breakfast. We will be looking into the cause of this to prevent a recurrance. Thank you again." He turned away to speak quietly to his brother who had arrived only a half hour before.

Both Albus and Aberforth Dumbledore had faced horrors in their long lives. Both had solved enigmas and conundrums the likes of which twist the minds of lesser men. Neither feared anything much in this world or the next one.

Neither had clue one when moments later the wards collapsed for the second time that morning.

* * *

Midday Sunday.

A team of the most skilled Warding specialists Gringotts had to offer, a pair of Unspeakables, three of the five greatest Charms Masters (of which Filius Flitwick was one) in the world, and the brothers Dumbledore were once again erecting temporary wards around Hogwarts while they considered the enigma that was the collapsing magical field that surrounded the school.

It had been quickly determined that it was not just the wards that were falling, but every magick tied directly to Hogwarts was being totally drained of magic. The portraits hadn't moved since the day before. The stairways were stationary. ALL the doors were visible and unlocked. Even the enchanted ceiling on the great hall was rendered ordinary stone. Fortunately independent magic worked just fine. Else it would have been impossible to travel around, for the torches had also been snuffed out and darkness reigned within the castle.

No, even the greatest minds gathered together couldn't figure where the magic was going, nor what purpose could possibly be drawing that much power.

Albus rubbed his eyes, it had been a long two days.

Earlier that morning, they had redirected a sizable flow of magic down a ley line towards Hogwarts. It had been spectacularly successful. The entire castle had lit up, the wards, doors, portraits, even the enchanted ceiling.

Minutes later it was gone again. That was seven hours ago.

The worrying thing was that it had only taken this long to recover once before, that had been yesterday afternoon. Talk was currently revolving around whether or not to try siphoning magic from elsewhere again. Thankfully the Minister had freaked out that first time he had been present during the crash. He had told his people to do what they needed to, and fled back to the safety of his office in the ministry.

The house elves were serving lunch out on the lawn again. Most of the student body were out here as well, gathered where the wards were strongest. It was turning into something of a picnic day.

Albus shook his head.

* * *

Minerva MacGonnegal had been circulating through the crowd for hours now, and had yet to see any of her golden trio. For that matter, the distinctive red of Weasley hair was most conspicuous by it's complete absence. Nor was Longbottom anywhere to be seen.

She wanted to tell the headmaster about it, but with him working on the wards, he had more important things to occupy his time.

Stepping out of the forest was a figure she recognised, Remus Lupin. Perfect. She waved for him to come over.

* * *

"Good morning Professor, lovely day for the entire school to be outside and unprotected." He smiled engagingly.

"Remus, quiet. Most of the children don't know, and we'd like to keep it that way," she made 'shushing' gestures to him. "That's not the worst of it, this is the sixth time in the last two days it's happened. It just recovers, and down it goes again."

The shock on the werewolves face was almost comical.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, Harry and his friends are missing," She was almost whispering this part as they walked away from anyones hearing.

"**WHAT?**" Remus bellowed, attracting the attention of much of the student body and quite a few others.

"Quiet," hissed MacGonnegal. "No, I don't know where they are." She said, as they stepped into the castle entrance.

"Where who is, Professor?" Came a cheeky, self-confident voice from the shadowy interior of the castle.

"MISTER POTTER!" Shrieked the suddenly relieved and furious professor. "Where have you been?" In a quieter voice, "I've been so worried."

Remus recovering from the panic of moments before, rushed forward and hugged his cub. Noticing as he let go, the change in Harry's demeanor. Confidence. It hadn't been there before.

Looking beyond Harry, he saw the rest of his friends…and his instincts were screaming at him. Predators. Very dangerous predators. The wolf was twisting within him, it was only a few more days until the next full moon, so it was close to the surface already. He had seen these kids only a few weeks before, and nothing like this had happened…what had changed?

He stood with Harry while the rest of his friends walked past, out into the sunlight. That's when he saw it…they were walking differently. Moving differently...so was Harry.

And suddenly he knew. They were Animagi. This had happened to Sirius and James. One day the entire way they moved had just changed, the way they held themselves.

But what creature could possibly scare a werewolf?


	7. Chapter 6

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Chapter 6**

Dobby deposited Harry in Myrtle's bathroom, and went back for the others. Moments later they were all gathered, and stepped out into the hallway, no-one was about.

Strangely enough, noone appeared to be in the castle at all. As they passed a window, all of them found their attention being attracted to movement outside. It appeared that the entire school was enjoying a day outside.

Harry's eyes were drawn to a figure emerging from the Forbidden Forest. "Moony."

"Where?" asked Luna, seemingly the only one who hadn't spotted him yet.

"Coming out of the forest," Neville smiled, he'd spotted the movement instantly.

"Shall we go down and meet him," Harry held out his arm to Ginny.

Ginny laughed, hooked her arm through Harry's and looked back at the others. "Lets go, it's still sunny and I've spent enough time in this gloomy castle for today."

Ron put his arm around Hermione's shoulders, and she an arm around his waist. Luna taking Neville's hand as they followed.

* * *

Remus watched them pass him, his senses screaming.

Ginny, the first to pass him, had a faint smell of ozone around her.

Ron and Hermione were next, and he didn't know which of them scared him more. No, definitely Ron. Though both were moving with the sinewy grace characteristic of large predators.

Luna had just detached herself from Neville, and Remus was relieved to see at least one of them wasn't giving him the willies. Though even Luna had a newfound sense of…strength to her movements.

And finally Neville. The wolf was all but screaming to GET AWAY from him. Remus sank back, subtly edging Minerva between him and Neville.

He felt Harry place a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't need to be afraid of us, Moony." Harry whispered.

There was something soothing about the way he spoke, or perhaps it was the hand. Harry squeezed his shoulder again and turned, walking down the steps and out into the sunlight to join his friends.

Remus and Minerva both remained quiet for a few minutes.

"They've done it, haven't they, Remus?" she whispered.

The werewolf just nodded.

* * *

Harry had a huge grin on his face as he joined the others out near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Ron spoke up first, "Did you see that? Moony and MacGonnegal were terrified…of me!" Promptly falling over, laughing.

Hermione punched him in the arm, "That's not a good thing, you ass. Besides, I figure that since you and the Professor have some cat in common, then it must have been me she was afraid of."

"Ow." Rubbing his arm, "When did you learn to hit, anyway?"

Hermione rolled her eyes as the others all laughed.

* * *

MacGonnegal did not mention the absence of Harry and his friends to the headmaster.

Albus and Aberforth Dumbledore arranged for more complex warding to go up, and were satisfied when it didn't go down this time. Convinced that they had solved the problems now.

Remus went home and got very badly drunk.

* * *

A few days later Remus was preparing for his stay in the Shrieking Shack. He had already taken the potion, when Harry and his friends all emerged from the Whomping Willow's tunnel.

"Hey Remus, tonights the Full Moon, huh?" Harry was smirking.

Remus' eyes narrowed, "Aren't you supposed to be up in the school? You must know that it's due to rise in the next couple of minutes, why have you come?"

Harry stood directly in front of the werewolf, hands on his shoulders, "To be with you, like Dad and Sirius used to. Why else?"

Remus looked into the younger man's eyes, and was almost swept away by the intensity of emotion, love, compassion, trust…then the first pains of the transformation hit him.

Harry turned back to the others, "We'll meet you out in the forest."

They turned and ran back down the tunnel.

"Why?" Remus gasped out between spasms.

A flame seemed to spring to life in Harry's eyes, "Because there isn't enough room inside the house for everyone to change."

In the moments before the transformation was complete, he sensed flames and looked up to see Harry shift into his Animagus form.

A phoenix.

Bronze and crimson plumage fading to black at the wingtips, and the brightest emerald green eyes.

Remus fell and twisted, flesh and bones reshaping painfully as the wolf asserted it's monthly dominance.

* * *

Harry latched onto the slowly recovering werewolf and the two of them vanished in a burst of flame. 


	8. Chapter 7

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Chapter 7**

Whitley Haverton-Smythe was the big man in Hufflepuff. A seventh year and Head Boy, he had worked damn hard in Transfiguration, and was the only 'Puff to complete the extra credit assignment. In fact, he knew that only one other person in seventh year was even attempting it…Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw.

To say that House Hufflepuff was proud of him would be an understatement of similar scope to saying the Sun is a little warm.

Moreso, he was particularly proud of how masculine his animagus form was. Yes, he had mastered the animagus transformation.

Professor Sprout was over the moon, and Whitley had even received compliments from the headmaster.

He was a Ram. To be quite specific, he was a North Country Cheviot, and a stout thick-limbed one at that.

He had completed the transformation just before the Summer holidays. His parents had been deeply emotional, their pride in his achievement evident in their posture and bearing, when they had taken him down to the Ministry to register.

Whitley had spent most of the Summer coming to terms with the instincts and natural drives of his Ram form. Who would have thought that a Ram would have such a powerful urge to protect?

Whitley had been visiting Diagon Alley for his school shopping, when Death Eaters attacked. His first instinct had been to flee from the danger…but then he had seen one of the Death Eaters cast the Cruciatus on a third year Hufflepuff, and his instincts did a 180. He drew his wand and started firing curses at the Death Eater, drawing on all that he had learned in the DA over the last year. Within minutes, he had disabled and captured the Death Eater, and had moved on to help duel another one. Then the Aurors arrived and most of the Death Eaters fled via portkey.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, one of the Senior Aurors, congratulated him personally for his defence of the Alley and his capture of a Death Eater. Whitley had been considering a career in the Ministry, but now, with the personal recommendation of a Senior Auror, he was putting serious thought into a new career.

The Minister of Magic himself shook Whitley's hand and presented him with an award for bravery, the pictures in the Daily Prophet had his parents once again deeply emotional over the breakfast table. His father had looked him in the eye over the newspaper and nodded to him. Whitley could tell his father was too emotional to speak. It was that moment when his father began treating him as a man, rather than as a boy.

In the final weeks of the Summer holiday, Whitley was the recipient of a large amount of owl mail. He had attracted the attention of a large number of folk, some of whom had insisted on sending him their underwear, to his intense embarrassment. Though none of the letters from his fellow Hufflepuffs contained anything so disturbing, they had all sent him their congratulations, even a large number of Hufflepuffs who had already graduated.

Needless to say upon returning to the school, Whitley had become a figure of respect and the role model for many of the younger 'Puffs.

* * *

Whitley was heading down to breakfast, first thing Monday morning, with his usual retinue of 'Puffs.

He was just about to enter one of the main concourses down to the Great Hall, when he froze, stopping those behind him, snatching the little second year who had been beside him, and pushing them back as well.

"Shhh. Danger." He hissed. He had become accustomed to listening to his instincts since the transformation, and wasn't about to ignore a warning like this.

The rest of the Hufflepuffs backed away, looking a little worried…what could be worrying their hero so much?

Whitley watched, wide-eyed, as Harry Potter and his friends walked…no, sauntered past him on their way to the great hall. He was terrified, but couldn't understand why. But no matter, a combination of his innate Hufflepuff stubbonness and his animal instincts need to protect his flock, meant he wasn't moving from that spot.

* * *

Ron was walking down to breakfast with his friends. They really hadn't had a chance to try out their forms yet, having only completed the transformation the previous day, and Ron was looking forward to that night…Harry had promised to lead them all out into the Forbidden Forest.

Ron just hoped they weren't going anywhere near the Acromantulas again.

Ron grinned. On second thoughts, maybe they could have some fun…

They were nearing the great hall when something disturbed his thoughts of revenge against all spiders everywhere. He could smell food. He paused for a moment sniffing. Definitely food. He looked around, and except for a few Hufflepuffs, he couldn't see anything of interest.

Ron shook his head and jogged to catch up with the others, just now entering the Great Hall.

Hermione looked at Ron funny, "What is it, Ron?"

Ron scratched his head, "I haven't a clue. For a moment there I'd swear I could smell food."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Twenty metres from the Great Hall and he can smell food. Not exactly showing off those heightened senses there, Brother."

The other three were still laughing when Luna arrived.

"Good Morning Neville, what is so amusing?" Giving him a quick kiss on the forehead before sitting beside him.

"Morning Luna, apparently Ron could smell food on the way to the Great Hall this morning," Neville's eyes were almost glowing in his good humour.

Breakfast started arriving. Harry and Ginny helped themselves to something approximating their usual breakfast, though Harry seemed to be going more for fruits and cereals than his usual. Luna made quite an inroad on the cereals and a large stack of toast. Ron and Hermione picked at the toast, but made heavy inroads on the bacon, sausages and pudding. (by pudding I mean blood sausage) Neville didn't bother with the toast, but did help himself to a portion of eggs to go with the large amounts of meat.

"Hungry Hermione?" Harry teased.

Hermione looked up from eating, to see half her house staring at her. "What?"

Ginny laughed, "You're putting away as much as Ron used to." She snorted. "Ron on the other hand is eating an entire pig." She was looking at the pile of bacon on his plate.

Ron grinned, "Maybe for dinner, if we're this hungry again."

All six laughed, quiet confident laughs, while their housemates looked on wondering what had changed.

* * *

Whitley had noticed early on, that his eating habits had changed. He was now, more or less, a strict vegetarian. He knew that he had no problem eating meat, it's just that he now preferred bread, vegetables, fruit and cereals. Meat seemed to make him a little queasy, though not as badly as when he had first completed the transformation.

He was currently watching the Gryffindor table, subtly watching the six. He would have to check with Katie later, but it would appear that some people's diets had changed rather suddenly.

His eyes flew open, and he looked away quickly when most of the six paused in their eating to turn and look in his direction.

They had sensed him watching them.

From all that he had read about the Animagus transformation, nothing was mentioned, whatsoever, about how the animal forms instincts would affect the wizard. Personal experience, and a couple of long discussions with Professor MacGonnegal, gave a different story.

But this. For his instincts to be reacting so loudly to their presence, and theirs to be so keen so suddenly.

He needed to talk to Professor MacGonnegal, and soon.

* * *

Ancient Runes was just after lunch, and after escorting some of the first year Hufflepuffs who were still nervous about moving around the castle alone, he slipped into the room a few minutes late, apologising to the Professor. He sat next to Katie Bell, who only raised her eyebrow at him. He knew why, as one of the most popular people in Gryffindor, she was often quite unapproachable, particularly for boys.

"What's up?" She whispered.

Whitley's eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean?"

"Come on Whit. I've known you for seven years. The Golden Boy of Hufflepuff is sitting next to little old me, something's wrong." She put on an innocent expression as the Professor glanced in their direction.

Whitley considered this, his thoughtful expression accidentally reassuring the Professor. "Something changed this morning at the Gryffindor table."

Katie's eyes narrowed, her whisper gaining an edge. "What do you mean, Whitley?"

The Hufflepuff shrunk back at the intensity of her gaze. "Look, it's important. You know them, have they changed?"

Katie considered him. "Show me your elbow, Left arm."

Whitley blinked in confusion a couple of times, shrugged, and rolled up his sleeve to reveal a pale, but pristine expanse of elbow.

She looked at him for a few more moments. "Harry and his friends were all eating different. Harry was only eating fruit, Ginny wasn't eating as much, Hermione was eating like Ron used to, and Ron and Neville were shovelling it in. I don't know about Luna, never really paid her any attention before."

He swallowed nervously.

She fixed her gaze on him. "Now why are you so interested?"

He swallowed nervously, "Promise you wont tell them?"

Katie's eyes narrowed, it was obviously important to him. "If it doesn't endanger them, yes."

Whitley nodded, knowing that was the best he would get. "A sudden and radical change in diet is one of the obvious signs of a successful Animagus transformation. After a few weeks the Animagus learns to control the instincts and can usually return to their normal diet." He was quoting one of Professor Dumbledore's texts.

"Yeah, so?"

"Think about it."

"Merlin. All six of them? At the same time?" She was having difficulty keeping her composure, the laughter was bubbling to the surface. "What's the problem if they have?"

"Every time I see them, it's like my instincts are screaming 'Danger' at me. I think they have large predators as Animagus forms."

"Awwww, is the little sheepy-weepy getting all scared?" She chuckled quietly.

"This isn't funny. I almost shat myself coming down to breakfast this morning. I need to know for sure, it's easier to handle when you know what they are, easier to reign in the instincts."

She laughed, attracting the Professor's attention again, but quickly schooling her expression to calm curiosity deflected that attention quickly enough. "Okay, fine, I wont tell them. I think it'll be more fun this way." She patted his arm comfortingly. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. If they've just changed, the animal will be riding just below the surface for a while, but the texts said everything would settle down in a couple of weeks."

Class soon finished, and Whitley returned to his usual routine. Hoping to get a chance to talk to Professor MacGonnegal later.

* * *

Whitley had delayed going to dinner, so as not to encounter **them **in the halls. He arrived in the great hall to find that the meal had only just begun, and quickly moved to join his table.

Which involved walking past where the six were sitting at the Gryffindor table.

* * *

Harry looked up from his conversation with Ginny when Katie started laughing. "What?"

Her good humour lit up her eyes. "Nothing Harry. Now about that formation…" The discussion quickly devolved into a tactics session for the upcoming Quidditch match against Ravenclaw.

* * *

Ron was trying to keep his attention on the game talk, but his stomach was still rumbling. There hadn't been enough food yet to satisfy his higher metabolism. And strangely enough…he was feeling like…

He looked at Neville and Hermione. "Are you both still hungry too?"

Hermione was fiddling with the vegetables on her plate. She was hungry, but didn't really feel like potato right now. At Ron's question she looked up and nodded sombrely.

Neville was thinking. He had already swapped Luna his vegetables forher roast. But it wasn't enough. "You're right Ron. Dobby!"

The excitable House Elf appeared beside Neville, raving about how great they all were.

Neville interrupted him. "Dobby, we're still hungry. Could you bring us some more food?"

Dobby confirmed quite enthusiastically that he could, but asked what kind of food did they want.

Ron spoke up first. "I'm hankering for some lamb."

Hermione nodded, "Fine with me, just make sure there's plenty of it."

Neville smiled at Dobby. "Could you bring us…" He thought for a moment. "Half a roast lamb. That should be enough." He looked around at the others, nodding to himself.

"And some bread please, Dobby." Luna said as her belly grumbled as well.

Dobby arrived a few minutes later with a succulently roasted side of yearling lamb.

All conversation at the table stopped as they watched Dobby deposit the huge platter on the table in front of the famished trio, as another House elf was depositing a platter full of sliced bread in front of Luna.

Noticing the sudden silence at the Gryffindor table, the rest of the room quieted down and tried to get a look at what had caused it.

Ron sliced off one of the legs, but lost it to Hermione while he was distracted looking for Mint Sauce. "Grrr. Hey Dobby, is there any…?" He was interrupted by the appearance of a bottle in front of him. "Thanks." He turned back to the carcass and began carving off some more meat, carefully protecting it from Hermione this time.

Neville just chuckled at the others antics, and began carving off some meat for himself.

"Good choice, Ron." Hermione muttered, eyeing the pile of meat on his plate.

"I've just had this urge to eat sheep all day. Since breakfast, really. Oi." He realised she was attempting to distract him and batted her hand away from his plate.

Most of the Gryffindors had gotten over the initial shock, and were laughing their heads off, particularly Katie, who had fallen off her chair after Ron's last words.

Seamus Finnegan, sitting on the other side of Ron, stopped laughing, a thoughtful look on his face. "Okay, this is ridiculous, even for you Ron. Why are you all so hungry? You're not pregnant are you?"

Ron almost choked. Hermione's jaw dropped open as she stared at Seamus. And Neville just chuckled to himself while slicing off another big chunk of meat.

Any reply they might have given was quickly drowned out by the hysterical laughter of the rest of the Gryffindors.

Their dinner finished, most students drifted out of the Great Hall. Soon only a handful of Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw remained behind.

* * *

Whitley had watched in horror as the three Gryffindors had demolished half a roast lamb, and had overheard Ron's statement.

With a resigned sigh, Whitley realised it would be some time before he could risk adopting his Animagus form on the grounds of Hogwarts…despite the sweet, sweet grass.

He noticed Professor MacGonnegal leaving, and quickly left to catch up with her before she retired for the night.

* * *

"Professor?" Whitley had caught up with her not far from the Transfiguration classroom.

"Ah, Mr. Haverton-Smythe. Do come in, I have no doubt you wish to discuss something. Yes?" Minerva MacGonnegal opened the door and preceded him into the room. "Have a seat, and tell me all about it."

Whitley sat down in one of the chairs at the front of the class, paused for a moment, then got out of the seat and moved away from it.

MacGonnegal watched the boy sit in the same chair Hermione Granger had occupied only a couple of hours before, then quickly get out of it again. "Frightening, isn't she?"

"What? How?" He paused to collect himself. "What do you mean, Professor?"

"The chair you just leapt out of was the very chair Miss Granger sat in earlier this afternoon."

His face paled. "Then…?"

She nodded. "Yes, as best I can tell all six of them have successful done what we have. They are Animagi."

"As best you can…They did it on their own? They haven't registered?" Shock was plastered across his face. "But...?"

"How did they manage it? I expect that Mr. Potter had a little help from his Godfather andMr. Lupin. I believe they wrote a book on the subject along with Potter's father." MacGonnegal nodded. "In the meantime, I suggest that if it gets too hard to bear, that you go to Madam Pomfrey and ask her to prescribe a Calming draught." She sighed heavily. "I know it's the only way I making it through sixth year Transfiguration with Miss Granger sitting less than two yards from me."

Whitley was shocked by this admission. "Thank you Professor. Have you any idea what their forms are?" He asked hopefully.

"No. Though the impression I get is that Mr. Potter and MissLovegood are not predators, nor is Miss Weasley though I have seen her eat meat. It is the other three, Mr. Longbottom, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley that are predators. Strangely enough, it is Miss Granger that causes the greatest reaction in me."

"I get it worst from Mr. Weasley, and he was talking about having an urge to eat lamb today." He shuddered.

Minerva patted the young man reassuringly on the shoulder. "It should only last a short while. Then everyones instincts will settle." She thought for a moment. "I feel I may have to confront them shortly. Though I find it hard to believe that Miss Granger has not come in to claim the extra marks."

He looked at his timepiece. "Well, I have a study group to run. Goodnight Professor."

"Goodnight Mr. Haverton-Smythe."Minerva MacGonnegal sat for a few moments, took a vial of calming draught out of her pocket, took a long pull from it, and slumped back in her chair.

* * *

* * *

Author Note:

There ya go. Another chapter done, and nothing further revealed about the six. Bwa ha ha ha ha.

As for poor old Whitley, yes he is an OC. While discussing the direction of this story with Finbar, we considered the relative rarity of Animagi in the Wizarding World and figured that in each year only a couple of people would attempt the transformation, and of those not all would succeed. The ones that did succeed, and did it openly, would be something of a celebrity. We needed another Animagus to react to their presence besides MacGonnegal.Whitley is a great guy. He is good academically, he tutors younger 'puffs, he protects them from bullies like Malfoy. Cedric Diggory was his role model, and fulfilled a similar role to the one he fills now. He'll be popping up again in later chapters.

Next chapter...Snape.


	9. Chapter 8

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Chapter 8**

Remus was in shock.

It was two days since the Full Moon, and he still hadn't recovered his wits.

Harry and his friends were animagi, and like his father and Sirius before him, Harry had done it so that they could accompany Remus during the full moon.

That really wasn't all that shocking. He'd given Harry the Marauder's Guide to the Animagus Transformation himself. He'd expected Harry would take the opportunity, and was gratified that Harry would want to accompany him.

Remus had actually travelled to Hogwarts at this time specifically so that Harry would have easy access to him during the Full Moon, since he had discovered a few days before that Harry had succeeded.

He had always known Harry was powerful, it really wasn't that much of a stretch to imagine that Harry could have a magical animagus form. After all, he did manage a corporeal patronus in his third year.

But this. It was beyond his wildest dreams. It was incomprehensible.

There were six students at Hogwarts, all of whom were substantially more powerful than Dumbledore himself. The equal of Merlin, or well on their way towards that power.

It was inconceivable.

But true.

* * *

Snape had been having a pretty good night. He had already taken sixty points from Ravenclaw, and twenty from Hufflepuff. Now all he needed to make his evening complete would be to find Potter out in the halls. 

He paused, he had heard a faint scraping of leather on stone. He looked up the offending corridor. It lead past one of the lesser known secret passages. _Potter? I couldn't be that lucky._ Snape quickly slipped down the new corridor, cloak billowing ominously behind him.

The door at the other end was slightly ajar. His eyes narrowed, as he sped up. Just before he reached it he stopped completely. _What was that?_ He could have sworn he'd just felt something. _No matter._

He threw the door open suddenly, and screamed.

A blood-curdling scream of terror echoed through the halls of Hogwarts, from the tallest tower, to the deepest dungeon. Accompanied by the most terrifying bellowing roar.

A massive black dragon was sitting just on the other side of the door. It looked severely pissed off, and it let forth with an almost white-hot gout of flame and roar of anger that echoed around the school.

The door swung shut, leaving a severely traumatised Severus Snape nearly naked in the hallway. His clothes reduced to ashes, his hair scorched, his body covered in soot.

Which is where he was found a little while later by the Headmaster and Mr. Filch.

* * *

Most of the school huddled under their blankets. Except the Gryffindors. They were all out of their beds and pouring out into the halls wondering what that could have been and does Harry know what that was? 

Harry and Neville looked clueless and shrugged, more than happy to return to bed with the rest of their house when Professor MacGonnegal herded them all back into the common room.

Noone even gave them a second look when Hermione gave Neville a clip upside the head while Ron shook both their hands, before they retired to their respective dorms.

Except MacGonnegal, who watched them with narrowed eyes.

* * *

Albus was at a loss. This was the finest prank he had seen in his life, and he had no idea how it had been achieved. 

He needed to know how it had been done. He was watching Hagrid, who was looking at the scene of the prank.

"No question about it then, Hagrid? There really was a dragon here?"

"Aye, though I'd wan' teh bring a speshlist in teh be sure."

"I'll ask Mr. Weasley if he can spare us some time, I understand he's back from Romania for the week."

Hagrid nodded.

* * *

Charlie was on his knees in the hallway. The smell was right. The distance between the claw gouges in the stone floor of the corridor…everything pointed towards there having been a near fully grown Hebridean Black in the hall. 

The only problem was…the doorways at either end were too small to fit a dragon through.

He stood as the headmaster approached. "No doubt at all. You had a genuine, Hebridean Black here." He laughed at the headmaster's look of confusion, "And a very angry one at that."

"What makes you say that, Mr. Weasley?"

He indicated the two doorways. "The only way they could have got the poor thing in here is by a powerful portkey. Which would have upset the dragon, no end. Explains why it shot flames at Snape." Charlie shrugged. "Sounds like someone cast a flame-freezing hex on him first though." He was chuckling at the idea, and very impressed at the lengths someone had gone to for a simple prank.

Albus nodded absently. _How did they get a portkey into here without me knowing?_

* * *

**The night of the Full Moon:**

The phoenix latched onto the slowly recovering werewolf and the two of them vanished in a burst of flame.

They reappeared in a clearing, deep within the Forbidden Forest. Remus lay panting, the pain from the transformation slowly fading. It was less than previous times, the calming touch of the phoenix had eased the transformation.

He examined his surroundings, they were alone.

Harry was perching on a nearby tree branch, his phoenix form, with it's bronze and crimson plumage fading to black at the wingtips, and the brightest emerald green eyes, seemed to light up the clearing.

It appeared to Remus, that Harry was in a high good humour. Then the werewolf's heightened hearing caught the faint sound of wings beating.

The phoenix warbled something soothing, and took to wing, flying up through the canopy, above the treetops.

Remus figured that the other five were on their way, had they all assumed avian forms? He doubted that would sit well with Hermione, whose fear of flying on a broom was well known. He settled down to await Harry's return.

* * *

The sound of something rather large passing down through the canopy startled Remus into alertness. It was shortly followed by the return of Harry and another bird, a large Raven. It's arrival brought with it the rather pungent scent of ozone. 

The phoenix warbled at him again, sung to the raven, and made a much louder melodious cry of in the direction the noise had come from.

He was answered by a rather piercing cry.

Remus was nervous, the wolf was well bound by the potion, but it was the Full Moon and the instincts it lent him were never more present than now. There was something wrong, he couldn't smell what was coming.

Then he realised, Harry must have planned it this way; the wind was at his back blowing towards the noise. They could smell him; he wouldn't be able to smell them until they were right on top of him.

He heard a somewhat familiar sound…deer hooves…as a reindeer stepped out of the darkness into the Full Moon-lit clearing. The doe looked at the Phoenix, the raven, then him.

Then it bared its fangs.

…

Fangs.

On a deer.

Remus very nearly bolted. Only the calming influence of Harry's phoenix-song stopped him from fleeing.

It was a good thing that Harry was still singing when the next of the six appeared, sliding out of the shadows with all the grace of one of the most powerful predators in the magical world.

A griffon.

A full grown male griffon. Three metres long and weighing in at a quarter of a ton, the massive predator was an incredibly intimidating presence. It's wings were furled on it's back, as it stepped up beside the deer, who playfully nipped it on the shoulder. Both turning their attention towards Remus.

The sound of beating wings was heard overhead as a Pegasus came to a perfect landing beside Remus, leaning down to sniff at him, before nudging him, and nickering to herself.

The phoenix warbled again.

The griffon slowly approached Remus, allowing him time to get used to the idea, Remus caught the griffon's scent finally and began to relax, he recognised it.

Realising this, the griffon circled around, and stood beside the werewolf, before sitting on top of him.

Remus growled his indignation, then whined in fear as another shape descended into the clearing.

A dragon.

The analytical voice in Remus' head was telling him that it was a full-grown Hebridean Black, in the peak of health. The wolf was also telling him the same thing.

The Griffon wouldn't let him go free though, until the dragon had landed, taking up most of the clearing.

The dragon's head snaked out and sniffed at the werewolf, it's breath hot in Remus' face. Then he realised, this was the final member of the group.

All six were present.

…

All six were magical animagi.

…

The phoenix was singing again, and the griffon had released him. He watched as the reindeer sprang over to the griffon, nudged him with her head, then turned and ran off, with the griffon in hot pursuit. They were playing tag.

The dragon yawned and settled down.

The two birds flitted down and perched themselves on a couple of the dragon's horns, the phoenix still singing.

Still watching the dragon, Remus was caught unaware when the Pegasus gave him a solid nudge and cantered off into the forest. Remus, realising that he was It, took off into the forest in search of one of the other three.

* * *

Remus thought back. Despite the initial scare, it had been the most fun he had had since before the Marauders had broken up after graduation. 

They had escorted him back to the Shrieking Shack, and departed before dawn. Except for the two birds, who had stayed with him until he returned to his human form.

Hugs had been exchanged, before the students returned to the castle.

Remus agreed to visit them at the castle soon.

* * *

It was the weekend after the 'Dragon of Hogwarts' story had hit the Wizarding World. 

Remus had spent a melancholy day, remembering his friends, alternately celebrating and mourning them. Finally able to find a little peace with them.

The next generation of Marauders had taken up their legacy.

Now Remus was standing in the Chamber of Secrets. Recently renamed 'The Marauder's Lair' by the six youths gathered before him.

"Mr Moony acknowledges the acts of the supplicants as being worthy of the true Marauder's and bids you come forth and present your case for admission to our hallowed ranks."

Harry stepped forward, "We thank Mr Moony for his time, and bid him remember that before him stands the Son of Prongs, Godson of Padfoot, and a Marauder by birth."

Remus nodded, "Indeed, and has the Son of Prongs a form of his own?"

Harry shifted into his Phoenix form, and back into his own.

"Very well, Mr Moony bids welcome to Mr Scorch, and asks that he present the case for his friends."

Harry thought for a moment, shrugged and grinned, "Mr Scorch would like to introduce his friends, all closer to him than blood family, all of whom have followed him through to the very gates of death itself. They are worthy, by right of deed, for it was through their skill, wit, planning and genius that Snivellus was once more the victim of a Marauder's prank."

"A worthy feat, Mr Scorch, for pranking Snivellus was high on the Marauder's list of priorities. Now, have they forms of their own?" Remus was revelling in his role now, and had not even skipped a beat at Harry's veiled reference to Sirius.

_Veiled. Heh._

The other five spread out to gain enough space to shift forms, spending only a few moments in animal form before gathering again in human form before Remus.

"Mr Moony concedes that they do indeed have acceptable forms, and am pleased to welcome the next generation of Marauder's."

"Mr Scorch would like to remind Mr Moony that he has yet to name some of the new Marauders."

Remus almost laughed, Harry had sounded so much like James in that moment. "Very well, Mr Scorch." He looked down the line.

"Mr Moony would like to welcome Miss Vixen, Mr Pride, Mr Scales, Miss Thunder and last, but certainly not least, Miss Lightning."

Hermione was chuckling. "A student of the classics are we, Mr Moony?"

Remus laughed, a pleasant joyful laugh. Soon joined by the laughter of the rest of the group.

"I don't get it." Ron complained. Which only set everyone off even more.

Remus looked around at the happy, smiling faces. "I only wish Padfoot could have been here to see this day." Only a hint of sadness remained in his eyes. "He would have been so proud."

Everyone nodded, muttering agreement.

"Now, Miss Lightning would like to bring up some new business."

All attention in the room was on her.

"Miss Lightning believes it is time to remind the school just who the premier pranksters really are. Miss Lightning seems to remember a certain pair of twins gaining a fair reputation for pranking while they were here."

"Mr Scorch suggests that perhaps a pre-emptive strike against them might be on the cards?"

"Miss Vixen quite agrees, a warning salvo up their nose is definitely called for."

"Mr Pride wonders if Miss Vixen is still upset with his brothers about a certain cat's fur turning blue over the Summer."

"Miss Lightning would like to remind Mr Pride that they did the same thing to him the Summer before that."

"Mr Scales thinks we should consider perhaps an alliance with said troublemakers. The pranking could very easily shake the Wizarding World if we did."

The entire group paused to consider the ramifications.

"Miss Thunder would suggest that we first fight and then team up with the twins, after proving our primacy."

Everyone was nodding.

* * *

They paused when Dobby brought refreshments, then they got down to some serious planning. 

Neither the Weasley twins, nor the school, were going to know what hit them.

* * *


	10. Chapter 9

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Chapter 9**

It was early evening, dinner was over and Whitley had been assured that Weasley and Longbottom had detention with Professor Snape. Everyone knew that Granger spent all her spare time studying, and the others did not represent a threat.

It was risky, but he'd been watching the Unicorns and Mr. Dumbledore's goats feasting on the sweet, sweet grass of Hogwarts for over a week now, and he was fast running short of willpower.

He was currently watching the window to the Gryffindor common room, Katie had promised to give him the thumbs up when they confirmed Granger's location. Whitley idly ran a few stalks of grass between his fingers, watching as a deer stepped out of the Forbidden Forest.

He was almost tempted to run the newly arrived creature away from his grass, but figured another set of eyes watching out for predators wouldn't hurt.

A loud whistle startled both him and the deer, who instantly shot off into the forest. He looked up at the window, Katie was hanging halfway out yelling to him, "Ginny says she's gone to bed, and Snape will have the other two for another hour or so…looks like you're clear."

"Thanks Katie, I owe you." He relaxed, calming himself in preparation for shifting to his animagus form.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Whitley savoured his first mouthful of fresh grass in far too long. Oh, sure, he had harvested some and taken it up to his room, he had even tried getting the Room of Requirement to come up with a decent lawn. But it just wasn't the same. The feeling of ripping the grass up with your own teeth, tasting the sweet juices…there really was nothing like it. 

So caught up in his enjoyment of eating was he that he had only barely noticed that the deer from earlier had returned, and was approaching him. It was only metres away, when the wind shifted, bringing its scent to him.

His nostrils flared as the scent of predator hit him. Whitley looked up at the deer, eyes wide, as he saw what had been hidden before…the deer had fangs.

'_Oh Merlin preserve me._' Was what he was trying to say. What came out was a frightened bleat, as he started bolting for Professor Hagrid's hut, his short, but sturdy legs powering along under him. Somewhere in the human part of his mind a voice was saying '_become human, it'll run away_'. The animal part of his mind however was saying '_and let that thing eat me? Are you nuts?_'.

Hearing it bounding casually after him was not in the least bit reassuring.

* * *

Hagrid was polishing his new wand. The Ministry had finally gotten around to acknowledging that he had been poorly treated, and falsely accused on a number of occasions, and had finally granted him permission to use magic. Which led to him getting a new wand, which in turn led to him polishing it. He was very proud of it, Mr. Ollivander had made it especially for him, larger in size and of stouter wood, to accommodate his great strength and enhanced stature. 

He was happily rubbing in a third coating of wand polish when he heard a commotion outside. It sounded like one of the goats was in trouble. He snatched up his crossbow (old habits dying hard) and rushed out the door, to see a sheep lying on it's back, pinned in place by a deer. The deer was holding it down with one hoof, while attempting to bite it's throat with the wickedest set of fangs Hagrid had seen in months.

"HOI, none a tha' now!" Hagrid yelled out.

The deer looked up at him, wide eyed, backed off from the sheep a bit, spread a previously unseen pair of wings, and took off, quickly disappearing over the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid had never hoped to see a livingPeryton in person, they were too rare, and to have one right there in front of him. He didn't know if his heart could take the joy.

He looked down to see that the sheep had transformed back into young Whitley.

* * *

Whitley could barely breathe, and just thanked providence that his fleece had been growing in nicely, and that Hagrid had been home. Losing a bit of wool around the neck was nothing compared to having your throat ripped out. 

He shifted back to his human form, swallowing convulsively. After a few minutes, he got up and, having managed not to puke, looked up at Hagrid.

"Yer arrigh' thar, Whitley? Do yeh need teh see Ma'am Pomfrey?"

"No, I think I'm fine." He ran his fingers over his throat, only a faint redness gave testament to his close call. "What was that, Professor? I thought it was a deer until the wind changed direction and brought it's smell to me."

"Aye, tha's how they hunt. 'Twas a Peryton. They look jus' like a deer, wander up teh a critter, an' pounce. I'm afraid tha's the las' time yeh'll be able teh come out 'till we round it up. Too dangerous." Hagrid shook his head sadly.

Whitley nodded and, shoulders slumped in defeat, headed back to the castle.

* * *

Hermione was mortified. She hadn't meant to get so carried away, but the instincts were quite overwhelming. She had very nearly killed something, hunted and killed something, right outside the castle on the lawn. 

From the looks of it, a sheep. She still had a clump of its wool, and was currently running it through her fingers, trying to remember where she has smelled that before. She wasn't used to relying on her other senses yet, just as she wasn't used to the subtle siren song of the Peryton's instincts.

_Sheep! Ron's been going on about lamb for a while now, maybe he'll recognise it._

She rushed down to the common room to catch up with him before they went down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

* * *

"Ron!" 

He froze. The tone in Hermione's voice, the tenseness in her posture…something was wrong. "What's happened? Are you alright?"

"Tell me what you think of this." She held out a small handful of white stuff to him.

Ron took it from her, "Wool? What about…?" He stopped mid-sentence as he caught a whiff of it, bringing it up to his nose for a better smell. "This is what I've been smelling all this time. Where did you find this?" He looked relieved.

She blushed, "Not here, later, we'll need to talk to the others as well."

Ron's eyebrows nearly shot into his hairline when he saw her blush, just nodding when she asked him to wait for an explanation. He took another sniff of the wool, and handed it back to her, following her down to the Great Hall to join the others for breakfast.

* * *

"What's the matter Hermione?" Harry was concerned, she had rushed in late last night, ignoring everyone and going straight to her dorm. 

"We need to have a meeting, later." She said, stacking a pile of meat onto her plate.

The others nodded; nothing more needed to be said.

* * *

That evening in the new Marauder's Lair, a rather sombre group was awaiting the arrival of their mentor, Remus Lupin; evidently, he was running late. 

"So, what's this about Hermione? Why the sudden meeting?" Ginny was fidgeting.

"It's about our Animagus forms. There's something we may have, no, definitely overlooked. The form's instincts." Hermione looked at Harry, "Remember back when Ron forst completed the transformation?"

Harry nodded slowly. "I was worried that Ron's instincts, his animal mind, may have been in control when he awoke."

Ron's eyebrows rose, nobody had told him that little detail.

"No offence intended Ron, I was just thinking about how often Sirius used to succumb to the instinctive urges of his dog form, and if someone as experienced as him could have that happen…" Harry trailed off.

Ron sat quietly thinking and eventually spoke, "Okay, I can accept that. But what is the issue here, Hermione?"

"I lost it last night."

Shocked gasps came from most of the group.

Luna's eyes narrowed, "Perhaps a more complete explanation…I'm sure Remus would like to hear this as well." She turned to look at the newly arrived werewolf.

The others all nodded greetings to him. Harry got up and hugged him, before summoning a chair for him.

Remus Lupin had overheard the last couple of statements, and it worried him. "Please, do go on."

Hermione took a deep, calming breath, and started speaking. "Last night, I went out for a wander around the grounds in myperyton form. When my wings are furled, they just seem to disappear, making me look just like any other deer."

She had the complete attention of the entire group.

"I was wandering around, when I came across the scent of a sheep, and that's where I think I started losing it. I'm still having difficulty separating what I wanted from what the animal in me wanted…" She looked away.

"Go on." Harry said quietly, the faintest hint of music in his voice.

Hermione spun suddenly, staring at him intently. "I started stalking the sheep. There was something familiar about the smell, but all I could focus on was the hunt. I got to about 3 yards away from it, when the wind suddenly changed direction, blowing my scent towards the sheep. It panicked, and bolted towards Hagrid's hut making a hell of a racket."

"So it got away?" Neville asked.

"Are you kidding? A small, land-bound prey animal escaping from a large aerial predator? Not bloody likely. Theperyton bounded after it, knocked it off its feet, and pinned it there with one hoof, while trying to get at it's throat." She was hugging herself as she relived the memory. Before anyone could interrupt, she continued, "Two things saved its life, I think. The first being my inexperience. Theperyton couldn't get much more than a big mouthful of fleece." She took a clump of wool out of her pocket and handed it to Neville.

Neville sniffed the wool, raising an eyebrow at Ron.

Ron chuckled, "Yes, I know. I told you all I could smell food that first day going down to the Great Hall."

Harry squeezed Hermione's shoulder comfortingly, "And the second thing?" Again that musical quality was in his voice, it calmed her a little.

"Hagrid. He heard the noise the sheep was making and burst out of his hut, crossbow in hand. It was enough to startle me back into awareness of what I was doing. I fled, took to the air and escaped out over the forest, before returning to the castle via one of the secret passages." She swallowed. "But the thing is, I checked the records when I returned to the castle." She tossed the Marauder's Guide onto the table in front of them.

Remus opened the book to the back, where there was a self-updating list of currently registered Animagi.

His eyes widened slightly, then he read out the newest entry for the group. "Whitley Haverton-Smythe, Sheep (North Country Cheviot), Distinguishing mark: Black bands on the hooves."

"Whitley?" Ron almost shouted. "All this time I've been drooling over Hufflepuff's golden boy?" He almost fell off his chair laughing.

Neville and Luna were laughing as well, only upright because they were supporting each other.

Ginny had her face in her hands, trying to stifle her own laughter.

Only Harry, Hermione and Remus weren't laughing. Remus was looking a little confused. Harry's eyes were glowing though, and a good-humoured smile lit his face.

Hermione was looking annoyed. "This isn't a laughing matter, I almost ate another student."

Everyone calmed down a bit after that.

"What do we do Remus? What did James and Sirius do? How do you handle your werewolf instincts?" Hermione asked quickly.

Remus nodded, "Have you spoken to MacGonnegal yet?"

"No, she doesn't know." Ron said casually, "We hadn't decided yet whether or not we were going to register. We did decide though that it would be an all-or-none decision though."

Remus looked each of them in the eye in turn. "She knows, and any other animagi in the castle would also have a pretty good idea about you as well. The signs are well documented in any number of texts on the subject." He looked at Neville. "Hows your diet? Still eating huge amounts of meat and little else? Hows about you, Ron? Hermione?" He looked at Luna, "Eating anything besides grains and cereals?"

"Um, bread?" Luna muttered.

They looked at each other for a few moments.

"How did you know, Remus?" Ginny asked for the group.

"A guess, based on knowledge of your forms and their eating habits. All animagi go through it for a while after their first successful transformation. It settles down in a month or so, but during that time the animal's eating habits prevail. As you should well know."

Hermione and Luna nodded, having done the majority of the research themselves.

"But back to MacGonnegal. She knows you are animagi, and it is a testament to her dedication to you all, that she hasn't reported you. I would strongly recommend that at least one of you go and talk to her…probably best if it were you Hermione." Then he added, in an almost offhand manner, "You scare her the most."

The look on her face had most of the group back in hysterics of laughter. Hermione just scowled at them, thought about it for a moment, then nodded ruefully. "I guess so. Anyone want to come with me?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah, I'll go with you. She'd never believe that I hadn't done it as well, even if you went alone."

"When do you want to speak to her?" Hermione asked.

"Hows about Sunday? We've got a Quidditch match this Saturday, and we really don't need her grounding half our team a couple of days before the match." Ron said with a thoughtful tone of voice.

"Okay, we'll arrange an appointment to meet with her on Sunday. Try not to get hurt, Harry."

"Don't worry, it's only Ravenclaw." Harry grinned.

The meeting broke up after that.

* * *

Whitley hadn't been down to the Great Hall for meals in two days. It was one thing to stand up to something when it was only a concept, when it was just your instincts screaming at you…but when you had come face-to-face with something that was trying it's damnedest to kill and eat you, it was a very different issue. He knew he would have to face them again, and soon, or his mind would get too caught up in an endless spiral of terror. 

He got up from his bed and put on his robes, despite his shaking hands.

His emergence into the Common Room was met by cheers and greetings from most of his house. In a show of solidarity, unseen in quite a long time, pretty much the entirety of Hufflepuff House accompanied him down to the Great Hall that night.

He was quite surprised to discover that Granger, Weasley and Longbottom had all absented themselves from the Great Hall, making the meal quite pleasant for the first time in a couple of weeks.

Part of the way through the meal, a large white owl entered the Great Hall, swooping down not to Harry Potter as everyone expected, but to Whitley. He checked, it was addressed to him; he removed the letter freeing the owl to fly across to her master at one end of the Gryffindor table.

The letter was written in a subtle, elegant script.

_I have scheduled a meeting with Professor MacGonnegal for early Sunday afternoon and would appreciate it if you could attend._

_H. Granger._

There was also a clump of white wool in the envelope. His wool.

He looked across at the empty spaces on the Gryffindor table, and then at the boy whose owl had delivered the letter. He nodded, the boy-who-lived nodded back. He would be there.

* * *

Saturday had finally arrived. The Gryffindor Quidditch team were at breakfast. About half of them were too nervous to eat. Of the others, Katie only ever had a couple of slices of toast anyway; Ginny and Harry were quietly confident and eating normally; and then there was Ron. 

Ron had skipped eating the previous day, he just hadn't been hungry, and was making up for it now; chowing down on a huge plate of bacon and sausages.

The Ravenclaws, on the other hand, were almost universally nervous. One look at Harry, Ginny and Ron had them convinced that the Gryffs were in top form. It would take a severely lucky break for them to win today.

* * *

As they mounted their brooms, the three felt a sudden thrill. Their senses sharpened, their reflexes sped a little, and they shot off for a quick circuit of the field before settling into their positions. Their animal forms were all aerial, and those instincts had all just clicked on. 

They hadn't felt this good up on their brooms before, and they knew this would be a bloody fantastic day.

* * *

Harry sat on his broom, high above the game, only moving to avoid the occasional bludger. He had been aware of the location of the Golden Snitch from the moment it had been released. He was in fact watching it even now. 

Cho had only seen the Snitch once, and was getting quite vexed that Harry, apparently, wasn't even looking for it.

Ron called a timeout, and the team swooped down to him.

"Harry, what's wrong mate? You're not going after the Snitch?" Ron looked a little worried.

Harry still looked distracted. "Sorry Ron, been a little preoccupied. Are we losing?"

"Anything but, Harry. We're slaughtering them. At the moment they'll only win if they get the Snitch, but give us ten more minutes and we'll be over 150 ahead of them."

Harry's head turned further away, still preoccupied. "That's okay then."

Ron grabbed Harry by the shoulder, shaking him to get his attention, "Harry, pay attention here. What's the matter?"

"Huh?" Harry focussed on Ron. "Dammit Ron, I lost track of it now."

"Track of what, Harry? You've been daydreaming through the entire match." Katie was scowling.

"Daydreaming? No, I've been watching the Snitch the entire time. I could have grabbed it thirty seconds into the game, but I figured you'd all want a chance to play for a bit first."

The stunned expressions of his teammates caused Harry to almost fall off his broom from laughing so hard.

"Look Ron, hows about you just give me a yell when you're ready to pack it in for the day, and then I'll grab the Snitch." Harry said coolly.

Ron blinked a couple of times, then a huge grin spread across his face, his eyes almost glowing in anticipation. "Just keep it out of Cho's hands, and leave the rest to us. It's just a shame we're not playing the Slytherins. Ah well."

They returned to their positions and play continued for most of the afternoon. Only twice did Harry swoop down into play, both times to swat the Snitch out of Cho's reach. The second time he did so, she screamed at him for almost five minutes.

Finally, Harry reached out from where he had been casually doing a circuit of the field and caught the Snitch; ending the game in plenty of time for everyone to get cleaned up in time for dinner, and the celebration in the Gryffindor Common Room. It had been an all time record score for a Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match, and they weren't going to waste the opportunity for a good party.

* * *

Author Note: 

As requested, the new Marauders:

Harry Potter - Mr. Scorch - Phoenix

Ron Weasley - Mr. Pride - Griffon

Hermione Granger - Miss Vixen - **Peryton**

Luna Lovegood - Miss Thunder - Pegasus

Ginevra Weasley - Miss Lightning - Stormcrow

Neville Longbottom - Mr. Scales - Hebridean Black Dragon

For those who may be a little confused about Hermione's form, aPeryton is a carnivorous flying reindeer, whose favoured food is reputed to be human flesh. It is the only kind of deer in all of human mythology that can fly. Kinda makes you wonder about old St. Nicholas now, doesn't it? Ginny's Stormcrow form resembles a large raven, a creature that can influence local weather conditions. For Ron's Griffon form imagine a hippogryff but with the body of a bengal tiger. Yeah. That big.

Now, for the interactions between the predatory and non-predatory members of the six: they have a deep and abiding trust of each other. Just observe any real world predator that is raised by a non-predatory "nanny". There is no fear on the part of the non-predator, nor any inclination that the predator even considers the other to be food.

On the other hand, there are a number of interactions between the predators that show they are exhibiting their predatory instincts, just fine. Particularly note the interactions between Ron and Hermione, especially with regards to food. Ron, the larger predator, often has to defend his food from Hermione snatching it; much in the same way a lion would have to protect its catch from hyenas. Neville, the super-predator, doesn't have to worry about any of that; neither of the lesser predators would consider upsetting a feeding dragon…

And finally, MacGonnegal and Whitley's reactions to the predators; it comes down to size.

Neville's dragon form is so large that neither of the other two even shows up on his radar. The sheep is too small for a meal, and the cat is completely beneath his notice.

Ron's griffon form, as a large predator, would consider a full grown sheep quite a decent meal, enough to last a few days, but like Neville, doesn't even notice MacGonnegal's cat form.

Hermione'speryton form, on the other hand, is substantially smaller than Ron's form and would consider a cat to be a very suitable meal; Whitley isn't off the menu though, aperyton would easily take out a sheep, particularly from surprise…

This is my interpretation; if ya don't like it, don't read it :-)

* * *

And finally, a big thankyou to Malaskorfor reminding me about Perytons. I'd been muddling it up in my head, but Peryton was the correct critter. 


	11. Chapter 10

I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards**

**Chapter 10**

The celebrations in the Gryffindor tower went on for most of the night. Professor McGonagall's presence had almost quieted things down…until her icy demeanour slipped and she conjured a large icebox full of butterbeers and the party kicked up a notch.

The next morning found a small number of bleary eyed Gryffindors arriving slowly to breakfast in the great hall, the rest of course were still asleep.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was incensed. The bloody Gryffindors had obviously cheated the previous day in Quidditch. They had blatantly kept the game from ending long enough to put them in a nearly unassailable position for the Quidditch Cup this year, and the way that Potter had finally ended the game, casually plucking the Snitch out of the air, was intolerable.

Draco was in a filthy mood and had just found an isolated pair of Hufflepuff third years to take his temper out on. "Oh look, a pair of mud-bloods wandering a little far from safety. _Petrificus Totalus, Petrificus Totalus_." Draco's wand swirled with practiced ease. "_Mobilicorpus_. Goyle bring the other one. Crabbe open the door to this classroom, we're going to have a little fun." Malfoy leered at the young girls he had just hexed.

Vincent Crabbe had just managed to get the latch open when he noticed a figure walking down the hallway towards them. "Draco."

Draco looked up from where he was busy molesting his captive. "Oh look, a feeble little Longbottom has decided to join in." Draco smirked as he twirled his wand around with practised ease. "This day just keep getting better and better. A mindless moron, just like his mindless parents."

The two Slytherin thugs moved to intercept the Gryffindor.

Neville paused, his smouldering rage-filled eyes fixed on Draco. "I think you should let these girls return to their House, Malfoy." An experienced listener would have heard the reverberation of power in his voice; a less experienced listener would certainly have heard the anger.

Draco laughed derisively. Crabbe cracked his knuckles, while Goyle drew back his arm in preparation to swing a punch at Neville. The Gryffindor sidestepped Goyle's clumsy punch, dropping his shoulder into the boy's stomach, flipping him over, and dropping him onto his head with an audible thud behind him. Crabbe swung a solid one-two into Neville's stomach as he turned to face the second Slytherin thug. Neville didn't even flinch, Crabbe staggered back nursing his hands, until the Gryffindor grabbed hold of his face and slammed the back of his head into the castle wall. Crabbe slumped into unconsciousness.

Draco, wide-eyed in shock, oriented his wand on Neville and began the wand movements for a rather nasty curse. He didn't get to complete it, as the Gryffindor boy seized the Malfoy heir's wand hand and pushed his wand up against the wall.

"All it will take is a small amount of additional pressure, and your wand will be snapped. With no evidence that I had anything to do with it, I might add. Do you yield?" Neville's face was mere inches from the other boy, his gaze fiery with suppressed anger.

Draco tried to maintain his gaze, but quickly withered under that implacable stare.

"What is this? Fighting in the hallways? A hundred points from Gryffindor, and a months detention, Longbottom," Snape swooped out of nowhere. "Now release Mr. Malfoy, or it will be two months."

Neville's gaze didn't even flicker, "Professor Snape, you should know better than to interfere in the dealings of the Great Houses. However," and here Neville did turn to look over at Snape, "If it is your wish to stand for Draco Malfoy. Then I am only too happy to accommodate your wishes."

Severus Snape blinked owlishly, surprise the only emotion on his normally dour face.

"Very well," Neville snatched Draco's wand from his hand and shoved the boy to the floor at his feet. "I shall be keeping this as ransom. Seek me out when you are ready to deal with my House." He turned to the two still petrified girls, "_Finite, finite_." A casual wave on his wand had both girls released. "Come. I will escort you both back to your Head of House."

Snape turned a mid-puce, "LONGBOTTOM! Two hundred points from Gryffindor, and you will go to the Headmaster's office THIS MINUTE!"

Neville froze, and turned back to consider the potions professor for a moment. His fiery glowing eyes narrowed, "So be it." He turned back to the two Hufflepuff girls, "Come, we must see the Headmaster." His flicked his wand and murmured something, and a faintly glowing blue shield sprang up in the hall directly behind him, cutting off both sound and the Slytherin Head of House's ability to follow him for the moment.

* * *

Minerva McGonnegal was enjoying a bracing cup of tea while reading an article written by one of her colleagues on the phenomenon of animagi taking the form of magical creatures; apparently the research subject had mastered a form reminiscent of a kneazle. A faint chime alerted her to the fact that one of her students had lost some house points. She shook her head, but didn't look up from her tea until the second chime a minute or two later.

"THREE HUNDRED POINTS?" She carefully placed her cup aside, set the book on her desk, and went to examine the device that kept a record for her house. "Severus, what have you done now?" She quickly donned her robes and rushed out. She just knew this would have to involve young Harry.

* * *

In the Gryffindor common room pandemonium had just broken out.

"Bloody Hell Harry," Ron slapped his own forehead, "What did you do to set off Snape this time?"

"Language Ron," Hermione clipped him across the ear. "We'll have to go find him, he'll probably be heading for the Headmaster's office by now."

A couple of other prefects were also muttering about Harry's amazing ability to loose house points to Snape.

Harry sat up from the other side of the couch he had been laying on, "What did I do this time?"

"You just lost us three hundred house points…Harry? How did you get in here so quick?" Ron suddenly realised who he was talking to.

"I've been here all morning, I haven't even headed down for breakfast."

The prefects all just blinked at each other in confusion.

"If you're still here, then who just lost us three hundred house points?" The seventh year prefect asked.

* * *

By the time he reached the Headmaster's office, several different Hufflepuff students had stopped them to ask where Neville was taking the two younger 'Puff girls. Thus, Neville was hardly surprised to find both Professor McGonnegal and Professor Sprout waiting for him beside the Gargoyle.

"Good morning, Professors. I am most appreciative of your presences, perhaps we can get this issue dealt with before lunch." Neville bowed respectfully to each of the teachers, and gestured for them to precede him.

"Good morning indeed, Mr. Longbottom." Professor Sprout smiled and muttered the password, activating the stairway, and leading her students up to the office.

"Yes, though I must admit," McGonnegal began.

"You were expecting to meet Harry here?" Neville finished good-humouredly.

"Indeed." She smiled primly, and started up the stairway, followed by Neville.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore had enjoyed a superb breakfast of fried scones with lashings of darkest treacle, and was thus feeling on top of the world. His school was running smoothly. True, Harry and his friends had not been present for breakfast, but that was hardly surprising since it was the weekend and the Gryffindor celebrations after that rather spectacular victory the previous day had kept them all up till the wee hours of the morning. And if Harry could devote enough time to Quidditch to become that good, then he was obviously not stressing about some greater plot.

His good mood evaporated somewhat when he became aware of the imminent arrival of the Heads of two houses. _Gryffindor and Hufflepuff? That's not exactly common. Ah, Slytherin has just entered the Infirmary, things become clearer_. He nodded to himself.

"Come in, come in. Ah, a good morning to you Professor Sprout, ladies. Please take a seat, wont you." A lazy wave of his wand had six seats emerge from the floor of his office.

Pomona gestured for her two students to take seats at one end, seating herself beside them. "Thank you Headmaster."

Moments later Professor McGonnegal entered, followed by a very dignified Neville Longbottom.

"Good morning once again Professor, and to you as well, Mr. Longbottom. If you would take a seat we can perhaps discover what brings you to my humble office this fine day."

Minerva frowned at Albus' jocular tone, and took the seat one down from the other professor, leaving the seat between them for Neville, who waited until she was seated before taking his own place.

Dumbledore made a cursory scan of the minds before him. _Neither Pomona nor Minerva knows what is happening here, they merely are present to support their students. The two girls, hmmm, nervous about being here for the first time_. Only stern self control kept his face smiling genially._ Assaulted in the hallways by young Mr. Malfoy and his colleagues, and rescued by Mr. Longbottom_. His attention focussed on Neville, this time his control wavered momentarily, he blinked._ Where did young Longbottom learn such impressive Occulemancy shields? He certainly didn't have them the last time I looked_.

"Lemon drops?" He offered the yellow sweets to the girls, who smiled and each took one, and to the other three, who all refused. After waiting a few moments for the girls to begin sucking the candies, "Perhaps we could begin, Miss Tuttle? Tell us what happened?"

"Me and Jenny were taking a shortcut to the quidditch pitch to watch our team's practice session, the game yesterday made us realise how serious the competition is, you know?" She said with utmost seriousness.

Albus nodded, _They will need to practice hard, indeed, to crack the lead Gryffindor has now._

Taking encouragement from the headmaster's acknowledgement, she continued, "Well, we were walking along a corridor when we were hexed by Draco Malfoy." Without Snape there glowering at them, and with the comforting presence of both Professor Sprout and, oddly enough, Neville Longbottom, she had plucked up the courage to name names for the first time. "He said that they were going to take us into a deserted classroom and do things to us."

"Did they?" Dumbledore's eyebrows had shot up into his hairline, his voice expressing shock. Though it was more the shock of an outspoken and brave Hufflepuff than shock at young Malfoy's actions.

"He really did," The second girl chipped in. "But then Mr. Longbottom…"

"Just call me Neville," Neville interrupted, smiling.

The two girls looked at each other. "Neville," they sighed dreamily.

The first girl started again, "Then Neville came to our rescue." Then she scowled, "Then Professor Snape came and took points from Neville even though he hadn't done anything wrong, and didn't punish the Slytherins, and didn't even release us from the spells Malfoy put on us. Neville did, and he was going to escort us back to our house, but Professor Snape sent him here."

Both girls nodded to emphasise their point. And sat quietly while the Headmaster considered them.

"Ah, Severus. Join us wont you." It wasn't a request. "I was just about to ask Mr. Longbottom for his version of events."

Snape ceased looming in the doorway and swept across the office, robes billowing threateningly. "This should be precious," He snarked, "That boy is as much of a menace as the Potter brat. Assaulting three of my students, he should be expelled."

The two Hufflepuff girls glared small pointy things at Snape until he glared back, causing them to retreat behind the protective bulwark of Professor Sprout with a squeak.

"If you would like to continue, Mr. Longbottom," the headmaster almost reacting to his colleague's vitriol, but managing to hide even the faintest hint of his exasperation.

Neville had raised a single eyebrow at Snape's attack, blinked a couple of times at the sheer effrontery, and cleared his throat…with a rumbling growl that would have had Charlie Weasley retreating and signalling for backup. "I was wandering the more remote hallways…"

"Looking for isolated victims?" Snape spat out.

Neville raised both eyebrows this time. "I find the solitude…calming." His eyes narrowed at Snape. "I happened upon Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle breaking into a locked classroom. The two girls had been immobilised, and were being dragged into the room by Malfoy and Goyle. I…suggested they let the girls return to their house. They felt it would better suit their purpose to insult me, my parents, my House, and my Lineage. Then they attacked me. Or, at least, I suspect they did…if you call the feeble physical blows Crabbe and Goyle threw my way an attack. I have seen preadolescent muggles make a better showing. Malfoy, on the other hand, drew his wand on me. I countered his attack and held his wand à cassant sujet. Whereupon I demanded his surrender."

Albus regarded the young Longbottom heir carefully, "Indeed? And had Mr. Malfoy not surrendered?"

"As would be expected." Neville withdrew Malfoy's wand from within his robes, holding it up for all to see.

"Headmaster, I must insist that Mr. Malfoy's wand be returned immediately." Severus was on the verge of drawing his own wand to expedite matters.

"I suspect not, Severus. Mr. Longbottom, would you care to continue." Dumbledore ignored the potions master's surprise and gestured for Neville to proceed.

"At this point, Professor Snape intervened in an issue that had become a matter of honour between two Great Houses. Taking a hundred points from Gryffindor is a meaningless triviality, the additional two hundred an act of spite from a pathetic little man completely out of his depth. The insult Professor Snape has inflicted upon the House of Malfoy and indirectly upon the House of Longbottom, will take decades to rectify."

Snape began to turn a sickly pale as realisation began to sink in.

"Furthermore, as one of the aggrieved parties, I have no option but to inform both Dame Augusta Longbottom, and Lord Lucius Malfoy of this event. The Wizengamot shall decide this issue." Neville finished with a disdainful snort in Snape's direction, a faint wisp of smoke drifting away from him.

"I trust you understand the ramifications of your actions, Mr. Longbottom?"

"Of course, Professor Dumbledore. I am prepared to stand behind my words and actions." Neville's gaze was steady and unflinching as he met Albus' eyes.

"You may go, and if you would be so kind as to escort these two young ladies back to their House? Thank you, Mr. Longbottom."

Neville rose, nodded to the headmaster and held the door open for the two younger students, closing the door behind him.

* * *

As soon as the door closed, Snape stood up, "Albus, you can't possibly support this insanity?"

"He has no choice but to do so. You brought this upon yourself Severus. Had young Mr. Potter been raised in the traditions and laws of our world, this might have happened years ago," Pomona Sprout seemed almost…gleeful.

"Albus, will you reverse the ruling against Mr. Longbottom? Three hundred points and a month's detention for coming to the aid of a couple of younger students, while the perpetrators escaped without punishment, seems a little harsh." Minerva was watching her younger colleague with a self-satisfied smile on her face.

Albus regarded his underlings with tired eyes, "In a little over half a year, Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom will inherit their family's titles, including seats on the Wizengamot and with them a substantial, and very influential, voting bloc. If I ignored this now, or forced him to set this aside, in less than a years time he would destroy me politically, socially and with the aid of the Malfoy family, financially. It would take little more than a single meeting with the board of governors to have me removed from this position. No, I am sorry Severus, but I have no option but to take Mr. Longbottom's complaint with the utmost seriousness."

"Lucius would not move against me."

"I believe that this would be sufficient to draw a unanimous vote from both the light and dark factions in the Wizengamot. Even if Lucius himself did not act against you, there are many others who will." Albus shook his head, "No, this is not the time for endless debate. This must run its course."

* * *

Neville returned to the Gryffindor common room to discover pandemonium.

"Nev? Where the hell-ouch get off Hermione have you been, mate?" Ron swatted at Hermione after being clipped across the back of the head.

"Just out exercising my pureblood political clout."

"Neville? I never knew you believed all that pureblood rhetoric," Hermione seemed a little taken aback.

"Believed? Hah. It's a load of Hogwash. On the other hand, getting Snape fired may well be worth the effort." Neville was casually examining the fingernails on his left hand while watching for their reactions out of the corner of his eye.

The entire room froze into a stunned silence.

A first year was the first to recover his voice, "Did you just say the bastard is getting fired?"

A second year smacked him on the head, "That's Professor Bastard to you."

Seamus Finnegan gave them both a quick clip behind the ear, "We like to refer to him as Professor Greasy Bastard."

"Or the overgrown bat," Lavender looked up from her latest issue of Teen Witch Weekly. "How did it happen?"

"He interfered in a matter of honour between the scions of two Great Houses," Neville said matter-of-factly.

"Ouch, wonder who Dumbledore will get in to replace him," Pavarti winced in false sympathy.

Harry entered the common room from the dorms, and nodded to Hermione, who immediately got up to follow him.

Which attracted the attention of the entire house. Half of whom immediately got to their feet, while the other half were still putting aside their various activities.

Harry paused, "It's just a meeting with McGonnegal. I promise."

The room seemed to deflate as everyone returned to their seats and activities. The sentiment in the room could be summed up in the words of two of the first years.

"So, we're not rushing off to sack the Dark Lord's fortress?" followed by a sigh of relief.

"Aw nuts, you mean we're not rushing off to sack the Dark Lord's fortress?" in a tone of distinct disappointment.

* * *

Harry was still chuckling when they reached the entrance to Professor McGonnegal's office. He knocked twice.

The door opened, "Come in Mr. Potter, Miss Granger."

Harry led Hermione into the room, occupied as it was by a very calm Professor McGonnegal and a freaked out, on the verge of bolting, Whitley Haverton-Smythe.

Harry started humming softly, calming Whitley enough that he could sit without fidgeting too badly.

"Welcome, I assume you all know each other? Good, good. Now, Miss Granger, why did you ask for this meeting?" Professor McGonnegal asked, a little more of her Scottish burr coming out than was usual.

"A couple of reasons. The main one being," She turned to Whitley, "I am so very sorry for what happened the other day. I am an Animagus." Hermione glanced at McGonnegal, "I got lost in the instincts of my form, I hadn't realised it could happen so easily. I didn't think it could happen to me." She shook her head. "Poor excuses I know, but I didn't mean for that to happen."

Whitley's eyes were bugging open, "You…you…you're the Peryton? No ones that powerful."

"What about you, Mr. Potter? Are you…?" Minerva's question died as they observed Harry transform.

Moments later a beautiful Phoenix, it's bronze and crimson plumage fading to black at the wingtips, with the brightest emerald green eyes stood where the Gryffindor had been sitting.

Whitley and Minerva both stared in shock. There had never been a Phoenix Animagus, no one was powerful enough. No one. Not even Merlin, whose form had indeed been magical, a Hun O'r Tylwyth Teg Cath.

Harry began singing, his phoenix-song at full strength calming both Whitley and Professor McGonnegal enough so that when, moments later, Hermione shifted to her own animagus form, neither panicked.

Whitley just sat there in near shock. The creature that had attacked and tried to kill him only days before, now stood calmly only a few short feet from him. In his mind, he knew, that the only way he could be this calm was if Potter's form truly was a phoenix, and not just a large colourful bird. When the deer unfurled its wings, all doubt left him.

Minerva's mind was racing. Both her own, and Remus' reactions to the members of Harry's group had indicated that they had all changed. Both Neville Longbottom and Ronald Weasley had incited a stronger reaction from Remus and, until recently, Whitley. Their dietary habits had been quite noticeable of late. Her eyes narrowed, "Please resume your human form. Thank you."

First Hermione, and then Harry swiftly transformed back into themselves.

"If you are still feeling the effects of the animal forms instincts to such an extent, then your transformation must still be recent. I would not be wrong in guessing that the weekend that the Wards collapsed would have been when it first occurred for each of you?"

"You are correct. My father and his friends left copious notes on the subject. We studied the animagus transformation independently, and we have yet do decide whether or not we will actually bother to register." Harry still had an undertone of phoenix-song in his voice, its calming effect continuing.

"Not register? But why?" Whitley couldn't understand their desire to flagrantly disregard the law.

"Mainly because we've read the same sources you have. We know that our animagus forms seriously outclass even that of Merlin himself." Hermione chuckled ruefully, "Can you imagine the hardline pureblood reaction to a muggleborn like myself being proven to outclass Merlin? There would be riots, chaos, and assassination attempts. Quite frankly, I'd rather disappear into the background after I graduate." She smiled at the Professor, "And I don't need the additional project marks in Transfiguration, so I wont be declaring it."

"What about you Mr. Potter? And the rest of your group?" Minerva fixed a stern gaze on her most troublesome student.

"Ditto. Plus, I'm a phoenix. I really don't need another messianic title added to the current list," Harry laughed quietly. "As for the others. Pretty much the same story. Though I believe Ginny could get away with a partial reveal."

Minerva considered for a moment, "Are any of you normal animagi?"

Harry shook his head slowly.

"Any of you on par with Merlin?"

"I would guess Ginny would be the nearest."

Minerva sat back, thinking fondly of the half-bottle of seventy-year-old scotch in the third drawer of her desk, "Enough obfuscation, what are you all? Please."

Harry grinned, "Ron, as could only be expected for a true son of Gryffindor, has taken the form of the noble Griffon. Luna is a Pegasus. Hermione is, as you have seen, a Peryton. Ginny is a Stormcrow. And I am a Phoenix."

"You left out Mr. Longbottom. Is his form so insignificant then?"

Both younger Gryffindors burst out laughing.

"Hardly." Hermione snorted.

"Neville's form is our most closely guarded secret." Harry chuckled.

Minerva's eyes suddenly widened as the pieces fell into place for her. "No! It's impossible."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"The prank on Severus." She looked shocked at her own conclusions, "You transported Mr. Longbottom around the castle, since the wards cannot contain a phoenix, and he was the…"

Harry smiled, "Just how did the twins get away with as much as they did?"

"The simple answer? They didn't." She shook her head, "Thank you for sharing this with us. You are quite correct about the Wizarding public's probable reaction to your forms. Do keep it quiet unless you have to. Pranks involving your forms should be discouraged."

"We'll try, but Ginny can be a mite impulsive at times…I somewhat suspect the Slytherin quidditch team will have a little difficulty finding a training time that doesn't also involve heavy rain," Harry stood up.

Hermione stood up, and turned to face Whitley, "Again, I am so sorry for what I did. I can guarantee if you want grazing time, none of us will be present…nor will any other predator for that matter." She turned, half smiled to Professor McGonnegal, and left.

Harry shook hands with Whitley, nodded to Minerva, and followed Hermione.

Whitley slumped down opposite McGonnegal and watched while she poured a couple of glasses of scotch. "So, what now?"

"Now we have a quiet drink, and forget everything we know about a group of people who have entrusted their deepest secrets to us."

* * *

Author Notes:

Wow. Almost an entire year between chapters. Damn. Sorry everyone.

And thanks to those of you who kept watching and waiting for this. I'll try to make the next chapter sooner than this last one was.

_à cassant sujet_ translates roughly to _at breaking point_. (French)

_hun o'r tylwyth teg cath_ translates more or less to _fairy cat_. (Welsh)


End file.
